In general, a motion simulator is a device for reproducing a dynamic change in response to a virtual environment controlled by a computer to enable a user to feel motion in virtual reality as if it were real motion. Such motion simulators can realize a flight simulation or a driving simulation and have recently been widely used as simulators for games or simulators for theaters that enable people to feel three-dimensional motion.
The motion simulator performs three-dimensional movement through a combination of linear movement and rotational movement. Movement of an object in a space is performed by a combination of linear movement in the forward/rearward direction (Z axis), in the lateral direction (X axis) and the upward/downward direction (Y axis), roll with the Z axis as a rotation center, pitch with the X axis as a rotation center, and yaw with the Y axis as a rotation center.
As one example of such a conventional motion simulator, a virtual reality experience simulator is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-1999-0060729. Referring to FIG. 1, in the conventional motion simulator, a base plate 2 is rotatably coupled to an upper portion of a pedestal 1 by means of a rotating means 80, a lower end portion of a central shaft 40 is secured to an intermediate portion of the base plate 2 and a supporting plate 10 is secured to the base plate 2.
A moving plate 20 is connected to an upper portion of the central shaft via a ball joint 70, a plurality of rotary rods 30 are rotatably coupled to a peripheral portion of the moving plate 20, a plurality of length-variable elements 50 are connected between the supporting plate 10 and the moving plate 20, a lower end of the length-variable element 50 is connected to the supporting plate 10 by the ball joint 70, and an upper end of the length-variable element 50 is connected to the rotary rod 30 by a universal joint 60.
The rotating means 80 has a structure in which a motor 81 is secured to the pedestal 1 and a pinion 82 fixed to a shaft of the motor 81 is meshed with a driven gear 83 secured to an outer circumference surface of the base plate 2. When the motor 81 is operated, the pinion 82 is rotated to rotate the driven gear 83 and the base plate 2 is thus rotated. When the base plate 2 is rotated, the supporting plate 10, the length-variable element 50 and the moving plate 20 which are coupled to an upper portion of the base plate are rotated together.
According to the above structure, the length-variable element 50 is selectively driven to displace the moving plate 20 and rotate the base plate 2 so that the three dimensional movement can be performed.
However, the aforementioned conventional motion simulator is configured to allow the pinion 82 coupled to the shaft of the motor 81 mounted on the pedestal 1 to be meshed with the driven gear 83 of the base plate 2 for rotating the base plate 2 having a heavy weight and its upper structure. Therefore, there is a drawback in that, since an inertial force is increased when the base plate 2 is rotated, if a rotational direction of the base plate 2 is reversed, a high load is applied to the motor 81 and it is difficult to quickly and accurately control yaw.
In addition, the conventional motion simulator has problems in that, since the lower supporting structure is composed of the pedestal 1 and the base plate 2, the apparatus has an excessive weight, and since the pedestal 1 is configured to be placed on a floor of an installation site, it is not easy to move the motion simulator.